The Macbook Pro Design – a retrospective

Next Tuesday we’re very likely to be saying goodbye to the current Macbook Pro design. This basic design has been around since the unveiling of the PowerBook G4 in January 2001.

The look has had a great 8 year run – and frankly, I don’t really think much needs to change. The keys started out black on the Powerbook G4, and will very likely head back down that path if the Macbook Air is any indication – but we’ve spent so long with the current design, you may not really remember what the previous design for Apple’s high-end notebook was.

It was this —

The Powerbook G3.

When you look at how drastically these two designs contrast, it’s easy to see how impressive the Powerbook G4 design was when it was first introduced. It’s unlikely that next week’s redesign will be quite as drastic – but still, it’s exciting to speculate on what the next Macbook Pro might look like. There are dozens of mock-ups online, but we won’t see the real new design until Tuesday.

If our current design is on the way out, I have to say – I’m sad to see it go.

Comments

I really very much like(d) my 2 MBPs. Current one is 5 months old and has a lot more months to stay with me.
But some things could be improved like swapping the harddrives… 😉
I also don’t like the edges of the trackpad button sticking out. But that’s all!

one of the things i still really like about my macbook is the keyboard. so, i’d really appreciate it if they included the macbook (air)-like keys in the new mbp. other than that, i’d have to agree with you – i don’t think anything much has to change.

but then again, it’s easy to say that now. once we get to see how they (might have) managed to make the new mbp look even more awesome than the current models, some people’s laptops are suddenly going to feel really old… 😉

I had the PowerBook G3 Pismo and after the new AlBook G4 (I didn’t liked the design of the first G4 PB (the blacl keyboard and the clumsy hinge, but the AlBook G4 is since untill now state of the art. Hopefully Apple will not change the design to much.